Crawfish Etouffee II

"I'm from Louisiana so that means this is a true recipe for Crawfish Etouffe. My family loves it when I make this recipe! If you can find crawfish fat use it instead of the tomato paste. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do."

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 24, 2003

I'm a cajun gal myself with my roots in Louisiana and the gulf coast of Texas, and this recipe is nothing close to my family's recipe for etouffe, which requires making a roux and cooking it dark, to start I have also never seen tomato of any kind go into etoufee.

Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 16, 2005

Very disappointing. I knew it would be when I saw there was no roux and no seasoning...how can this be considered a "true cajun recipe"?????? I will quit looking for a cajun shortcut and stick with what I know to be good.

I have used this recipe a zillion times and it's always a hit. A few changes I made are:I throw in a generous dash of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and another dash of cayenne pepper (to taste-I like it spicy)AND about ten minutes before it's done I use about a 1/4 to 1/2 of Heavy Whipping Cream stirred in to make it VERY rich!! I also usually double the recipe with success.

Having lived in Louisiana my whole life I can tell you that this IS an authentic cajun crawfish etoufee recipe! The other reviewers I see that talk about using a roux MUST be talking about crawfish stew because I have made etouffee hundreds of times and have NEVER used a roux. BUT when I make crawfish stew I always use a good medium to med.-dark roux. If you find the recipe bland then just add some powdered crawfish boil seasoning or Tony Chachere's seasoning to the gravy.

This recipe is exceptional! Local Cajun Restaurant's ettouffe was thought to be the best but this is equal to or better than. If you want it spicier add a little cayenne or cajun seasoning. We loved it!!!

Being from the New Orleans area, I find the basic part of this recipe to be good. I don't use as much oil and a little more butter, and I add lots of cajun seasoning and a good bit of fresh garlic when I am sauting the vegs. I also double the recipe, and sometimes add much more of everything than suggested and it all cooks down fine. Many people say that tomatoes or the paste don't belong in the etouffe (it is more of a creole dish with the red sauce), but I always get phenomenal reviews when I make it. Then again, that's what cajun dishes are all about--just cooking all your stuff down with spice, and ya get what ya get!

I only cook about twice a year, but I made this for my fiance for Valentine's Day and she was thoroughly impressed. How much of this was due to the sole fact that I cooked, I'm not sure, but I did enjoy this dish very very much.
Added smoked sausage, mushrooms, jalapenos, cayenne, and used a garlic alfredo sauce instead of tomato paste. Gave it a little spice kick and served over rice. Thanks for the recipe! I may just start cooking every week now ;)